Noravank is one of Armenia’s gems. A beautiful 13th century monastery perched high above a stunning gorge. Its remote location makes it a challenge to get to if you are not on a tour.
There’s no public transport from Yeghegnadzor to Noravank, so we decided to try hitchhiking. Most definitely the right choice!
Too complicated to take a marshrutka to Noravank
Our guesthouse owners told us that there was a marshrutka to Areni. We packed our picnic lunch then wandered down to the marshrutka stand opposite the hospital at 9:50, only to be told that the next one wasn’t until 12:00. There were marshrutkas going to other places but we didn’t recognise any of the names. Locals told us to take a taxi, but we wanted to get there on our steam with no time restrictions.
Yerevan-bound marshrutka wouldn’t take us
We walked down to the main road and found a marshrutka bound for Yerevan… but he wouldn’t consider taking us the 15kms to the Noravank turn off. Maybe he was waiting until his vehicle had all full-fare paying passengers. Whatever the case, Yeghegnadzor to Noravank looked as though it was going to be done the hard way!
You can find the route to Noravank on Maps.me
A great first hitching experience in Armenia
Other travellers had given glowing reports about their hitching experiences in Armenia. As car after car raced by us, I was inclined to doubt the veracity of their stories, until we got our first lift in only 13 minutes.
This was with a local school teacher on leave for 3 months. He was only going 6kms down the road but insisted on calling into his house and dropping off his shopping, then driving us to the Noravank turn off!
We stopped at one of the roadside cafe stalls near the junction, which turned out to be his friend’s, (we think, but remember – our Russian is pretty basic!).
We went inside and he insisted that we have a coffee and a small glass of delicious, slightly chilled homemade wine.
He refused any payment so we bought a string of churchkela for sustenance and as a way to repay his hospitality.
Walking through the canyon to Noravank
As it was still only 11:15, we decided to walk through the canyon and admire the stunning rock formations.
There was enough shade to make it a pleasant experience. We’d spent 1 week in Yerevan so it was great to be out in the countryside again.
The canyon is quite spectacular in this section. It towered high above us and we craned our necks to see the very top. We recommend walking part of it to get a feel for its immensity even if you have your own transport.
Second lift
After 2kms we decided to put our thumbs out, and were promptly picked up by 3 guys who worked for the most famous soft drink company… yes, that one.
They spoke excellent English and were a pleasure to chat to, as well as being lifesavers as the road soon turned steep and windy. I wouldn’t have wanted to walk those last 6kms!
Noravank Monastery
Noravank is an outstanding monastery complex set in a beautiful valley location surrounded by rocky mountains cliffs. It was founded in 1105 and is comprised of 2 churches and a chapel built in the 13th and 14th centuries. It is one of Armenia’s most astounding sights and should not be missed.
Most people visit from Yerevan on a whistle-stop day tour but it deserves way more time than that. The other option is to visit from the nearby pleasant town of Yeghegnadzor.
Stunning monastery and oh, those steep steps!
We arrived at a quiet time in between waves of tour buses. This meant we were able to wander around and soak up the atmosphere and read the information boards.
Lee had told me about the “Instagram steps”, and they did look quite impressive! Going up is fairly straightforward but we took different approaches to going down… with Lee going down on his bum and me going down backwards, facing the steps and not looking down!
The highlight for me of the chapel upstairs were the white doves – they were so lovely!
How long to stay at Noravank?
After our experiences with taxis at Geghard and Khor Virap, and being restricted to only 1 hour, it was so lovely to be able to just relax at Noravank and enjoy the scenery, and people-watch of course!
We ended up staying for 2.5 hours, and it was great to have that flexibility. We noticed that the tour groups seemed to have around 45 minutes, and unfortunately they all seemed to come in a wave, making it difficult for the individuals in the groups to get good photos.
Doing it independently is definitely the way to go!
The return trip to Yeghegnadzor
After a leisurely stay at Noravank, eating a delicious picnic and lingering to people-watch, it was time to head back to Yeghegnadzor. We began walking down the steep switchback road towards the canyon, confident now that we would get a ride.
We walked by a campervan with Georgian plates that we’d seen earlier. It was parked up and the owner was busy flying his drone over the awe-inspiring landscape. We gave them a wave and a smile, hoping they’d feel generous towards some weary travellers on a lonely road. Sure enough, the pleasant German couple who were driving it stopped and offered us a ride when they passed us shortly afterwards.
We piled in the back and had a wonderful 10 minute conversation about travel experiences in the region as we descended through the monumental gorge. Its light was changing as the afternoon wore on, and the rocks took on a beautiful golden hue.
One last ride back to Yeghegnadzor
The lovely German couple were heading to Yerevan, so dropped us back at the main road junction where we attempted to get one last ride, the 15 kms back to Yeghegnadzor.
After a brief chat with the friendly local road workers, we stuck out our thumbs and the third car that passed us screeched to a halt. This welcoming gentleman, a worker on his way back from Yerevan to Stepanakert, whisked us at breakneck speed to Yeghegnadzor. Armenian drivers can be rather quick off the mark but we certainly weren’t complaining. He left us with a handful of delicious fresh apricots he was taking home from Yerevan!
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Hitchhiking is a great experience in Armenia
We never really planned to hitch in Armenia but we found that sometimes public transport just isn’t available, and it is a perfectly acceptable way to get around here. The people are so friendly and happy to assist that it is a wonderful way to meet locals and get a feel for Armenian life. The culture of hospitality here is very humbling and we will leave Armenia with fond memories of the people we’ve met along the way!
Take a look at our YouTube video
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This was our experience of hitchhiking from Yeghegnadzor to Noravank for a day trip. If you have any comments or suggestions please leave a comment below. We’d love to hear from you.
Happy travels!
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